The next gambling minister? Stephanie Peacock gives clues to Labour's position on the industry

Gambling minister Stuart Andrew's concluding remarks in his speech to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) annual meeting last week reflected the current political landscape.

"I look forward to continuing working with you for as long as I am in this post," he said with a somewhat rueful chuckle. Andrew is not standing for parliament again at the next general election but, even if he were, the polls suggest he would not be in government.

With Labour so far ahead, it is likely that Stephanie Peacock, the shadow minister for gambling, sport and media, will be charged with taking forward the government's gambling reforms. Peacock followed Andrew in giving a speech to the meeting and said the crossover between her comments and the minister's remarks "shows that there is a great deal of consensus in this area".